Mom, I'm Home
by XXPay4XtraShippingsXX
Summary: He suddenly realized that nothing mattered anymore, except the fact that he had to get home. One-shot. Happy Mother's Day :)


**For all the moms out there.**

A tall figure of sixteen stood on a mountain, silent and expressionless as he watched the sunrise.

A new day. He acknowledged the days as they went by, but typically didn't stop to think about them. He focused on training, only on training. The holidays were days of resting and relaxation, spent with his Pokémon. He never left his spot. Never. For there would always be another challenger, be it another Trainer or himself, that he would overcome.

He surveyed the skyline, the beautiful rising sun, the cotton candy clouds set in a sky splattered with orange. It was truly amazing. This would have to become a regular thing, the Trainer mused silently to himself. He felt contented at the sight of it…yet also felt a tug of grief, a slight nostalgia, as if someone he knew had enjoyed sunrises…

And suddenly, he recalled what day it was. How he realized he would never know, nor would he understand why it was this year instead of any other of the six years he had been away, but a whirlwind of emotions flooded him in that instant.

What was he doing here? Training? Why was he training? There was no other opponent, no other Trainer above himself that he was required to conquer. Well, okay, there was that boy (Gold, he thought it was) that defeated him a few years ago, but why did it matter anymore? Had he not proven to all, even himself, that he was an extremely powerful and respectable Trainer? So what if one boy defeated him?

And, anyway, wasn't there someone at home who mattered more than any training, someone who was probably worried sick about him? Had he truly forgotten about that person for six whole years?

He suddenly realized that nothing mattered anymore, except the fact that he had to get home. The Trainer shook his head as if waking up from a long sleep. In a way, he had. He took out a Pokéball, and out came his Charizard. Breaking his silent vigil of six years, he whispered, "Take me home."

* * *

She had given up the notion of looking out the window and seeing him there. She had given up on the idea of ever seeing him again. That was how it went. She wasn't angry or upset. That had faded long ago. She was now only hurt and sad. On today of all days she used to hope to see him again.

What a pitiful woman she was.

She used to glower at her neighbors on that day, the ones who the Trainers _did _return to. Oh, _how_ she had hated them. They never noticed her leering through the window, too caught up in their own happiness. As they very well should have been.

The first time after his leaving, she fully expected the Trainer to return or at least visit. He didn't. That day, _that day _tore a hole in her heart that still echoed with a dull pang every time it crossed her mind. From then on, she began to realize that she was no longer needed. No. It couldn't be that. Her Trainer had left her behind and never looked back.

Needless to say, she was angry.

She had begun to ask about him, ask where he had last been spotted. She was hot on his trail, sometimes missing him by mere minutes, when suddenly he vanished. Nobody knew his location.

Some said he died (she tried not to dwell on the topic that so plagued her dreams), while others said he was exploring new regions. Exploring? she had scoffed. Like he would ever _dare _to venture outside Kanto! She knew him, and knew that he got homesick easily (well, she later thought wryly, perhaps not _that _easily), and Kanto was most certainly his home. He had said that he would stay in Kanto so many times. A weak argument, but she firmly believed it.

In the end, most imagined he had simply retreated from fame (which he did tend to shy away from) to train by his lonesome. But where? Nobody knew.

One boy came, claiming the Trainer was on a tall mountain by the name of Silver, but nobody believed him. This particular boy also claimed to have defeated this Trainer in a Pokémon battle, so everyone knew he was off his rocker. Sixteen Gym Badges or not, that one didn't look _nearly _powerful enough to beat _him_. The kid eventually gave up and returned to his own hometown, and everyone was once again clueless and worried.

But time went on. More new Trainers bloomed, as did conflict, and the region was filled with excitement once more. Everyone soon forgot about the missing Trainer…except her…

The woman shook her head. Thinking about it wasn't going to do her any good. She shuffled over to the kitchen, about to make herself something to eat, when she heard a knock on the door. "It's open," she called dully.

The door creaked open and, as if her thoughts had finally summoned him, a remorseful looking teenager with brown hair, a faded red hat, and a Pikachu on his head stepped inside. Her throat constricted. She recognized him immediately.

The familiar voice, hoarse from disuse, said quietly, "Mom…I'm home."

The plate she was holding clattered to the floor.

She rushed to embrace him.

* * *

**I hope you liked it!**

**I was playing White 2 and then I got to the part where Touko's/Touya's mom mistook my character for her child and all. Y'know, that just made me sad. The woman hasn't heard from her child (who, now that I think about it, can just freaking **_**call**_** her on the Xtransceiver anytime) for two years! Then I thought, "Hey, she's kinda like Red's mom in a way" and I realized how **_**cruel **_**it was for those mothers to have to endure that! Years of silence from her child! I mean, sure, when you're eighteen that's cool but these moms are kinda getting cheated out of their kids' teenage years with absolutely NO contact. NONE. Whether that is a blessing or a curse I will leave up to you to decide.**

**So, yeah, I pretty much **_**had**_** to write this.**

**And the funny thing is, I actually started this in, like, January. I've been waiting **_**months **_**to post this. Months of little changes to the story, the dialogue, even the author's notes.**

_**That is why this story is so perfect**_** *stares into soul***

**And while I've got you here, I'll bet you're thinking, "Hey, wouldn't he have to talk to tell his Pokémon to do things?" Yeah, that kind of bugged me too, but I guess he's got some sort of, like, signal or something…? I don't know.**

**Wait, I do know. He and his Pokémon are so tight he doesn't even have to speak anymore. They just **_**know**_**. Yeah. *to myself* Nice one, Shippings. Good save, girl. You're awesome. Everyone loves you. In fact, these people only wanted to hear your lovely voice and not even read the story.**

**Oh. Ah, you're still here? Ehehe. Um. *blushes***

**But, all joking aside…**

**Happy Mother's Day, to all the moms, grandmas, and anyone else out there. You guys give us the love and nurturing we need and make our lives great.**

**Thanks for reading the story (and enduring the author's note), and God bless!**

**~Shippings**


End file.
